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Salsa, Latin-American
& Ballroom Dance
Lessons in London

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  Salsa Music Is Popular

  Salsa music is increasingly used in a number of films, TV programs & commercials as well as growing in popularity generally. Popular musicians include salsa music amongst their repertoire such as Michael Jackson’s "You Rock My World", Sting’s "Fragile" and Cold Play’s "Clocks" to name a few. Salsa music varies across the world and new clubs are starting up all over the place every month. Click on the "Salsa Music Clips" link to hear free samples.
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  Dance styles develop from particular types of music

  For example Mambo was originally a Cuban dance, but in New York, it is now a totally different dance which has become very popular across Europe in the last 10 years or so. The most common styles in London are now L.A. (also known as New York On1) and the original Cuban, but there are a few who prefer the Miami or Colombian styles whilst New York style is rapidly growing in popularity. Click on the "Salsa Video Clips" link to find out more.
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  What About Ballroom & Latin-American Dances?

  There are quite a few dances which seem to be returning to fashion again thanks to dance programs on the television such as "Strictly Come Dancing" etc. BestSalsa will concentrate primarily on teaching moves which can be used on the social dance floor rather than choreographed moves which would be unuseable with anyone other than a regular partner.
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  Learning to dance Cha-cha-cha will help you improve your salsa styling & timing

  The music is a little slower & will therefore help enable you to learn New York Style Mambo which is becoming increasingly popular amongst many salseros & salseras - especially those planning to become professional salsa dancers. If you are not sure what Cha-cha-cha is, then why not check out our "Cha-cha-cha" page? There are video clips showing how to dance, along with examples of what is good, what is great as well as the not so good.
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  Individual Lessons

  The advantages of individual lessons (or private lessons as they were once known as) are that they are tailor made to suit you. You can learn whatever you want to learn at your own pace in the style & level of your choice rather than take the risk of wasting time. This is particularly useful if your time is valuable. Some people feel too shy to go to group classes until they feel reasonably competent.
  
  Barry Gordon is often available for individual lessons in any of the dances listed on the "Dances Available" page.
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  Salsa Dancing Is Popular

  Salsa dancing has become a particularly popular partner dance and is still growing across the UK and the rest of the world at enormous speed. Salsa dancing is now commonly included nowadays amongst traditional Latin American Dancing and is becomingly increasingly popular over the last few years. There is a lot of freedom to freestyle & include one’s personal styling rather than copy a rigid set of instructions as in Ballroom dancing. Hence some people become competent in salsa dancing relatively quickly.

Click the play button below to hear Marc Anthony singing 'Ahora Quien'.

Click the play button below to hear "El Cantante" sung by the late & great Héctor Lavoe (El Father) - one the best ever salsa songs.

The following links show salsa which is particularly popular with Colombian style dancers. -

Click the play button below to hear Grupo Galé playing 'Ven A Medellin'.

Here's Grupo Galé again, this time playing 'A Medley of Songs Written By El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico.

This is Joe Arroyo playing 'No Le Pegue A La Negra (La Rebellion)'

Mambo is salsa that has been influenced by Latin Jazz. Perry Como's 'Papa Loves Mambo' below would not be so popular in a salsa club in London, but it does show how closely Mambo & is linked to Swing music. -

The following links show music popular with New York Mambo style dancers.

'Lluvia Con Nieve' is another great Fania hit. This type of salsa is also popular amongst Colombian style dancers.

This is Tito Rodriguez playing 'Yo Te Tengo A Ti'

This is Will Smith singing "Just The 2 Of Us" R & B music fused with salsa. Originally this was a pop song by Bill Withers.

Many Salsa clubs often also play Reggaeton, or the latest craze is to fuse Salsa with Reggaeton creating Salsaton as below.

This link shows how salsa can be fused with Indian music.

Very often, musicians play several genres of music. E.G. Sting played various versions of 'Fragile', but the salsa version below has often been played in salsa clubs in London. He is much better known for his pop music for many years.

Pop artists Coldplay teamed up with Cuban band Buena Vista Social Club to make this Cha-cha-cha or slow salsa song called 'Clocks'. Click the play button below to hear it.

Africando are from New York & Senegal (Africa) & they play salsa classics. This song is called 'Yaye Boy'.

Los Van Van are one othe most popular of Cuban salsa musicians in the world. Here they are playing the title track to one of their Albums - 'Chapeando' -

Here are Los Van Van again. This time they are playing 'El Sol Natural (Timpop con Birdland)'.

This is Carlos Manuel y su Clan playing 'Agua Fria' (Cold Water).

Manolito y Su Trabuco (Amaray) is another popular Cuban Band. Here they are playing one of their best known songs 'Locos Por Mi Habana' (Mad For My Havana),

The following clips show New York & Puerto Rican salsa music popular with most salsa dancers. -

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico are amongst the best Puerto Rican Bands in the world. The clip below shows them playing 'Ojos Chinos' (Chinese Eyes).

Here's El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico again. This time playing 'Brujeria' (Witchcraft).

The Late Celia Cruz was originally a salsa singer from Havana, Cuba and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, with twenty-three gold albums to her name. She was renowned internationally as "La Reina de la Salsa, (the "Queen of Salsa)". This was where & when the name of this genre of music was first coined in the 1970's. She spent most of her career living in New Jersey, and working in the United States and several Latin American countries. Here she is singing 'La Vida Es Un Carnaval' (Life is a Carnival).

Click the play button below to hear the fantastic Willie Colón playing 'Idilio'.

Click the play button below to hear La India & Eddie Palmieri playing 'Mi Primera Rumba'.

We list below, salsa singers & bands whose recorded music is recommended by BestSalsa. We apologise to any musicians not yet mentioned here. We will be pleased to update this list once we have a recorded sample of salsa music that we like. For example there are some great bands around who mostly play other people's music, but are not so well known to have such great music of their own yet. -

Adalberto Alvarez	Fania All Stars	La Sonora Carruseles	Pérez Prado
Adalberto Santiago	Fatal Mambo	La Sonora Ponceña	Pete (El Conde) Rodríguez
Africando	Frankie Negron	Larry Harlow	Polo Montañez
Afro Cuban All Stars	Frankie Ruiz	Larry Spencer	Puerto Rican Power
Alex Leon	Fruco Y Su Tesos	Latin Brothers	Pupy Santiago
Alex Wilson Band	Gabino Pampini	Lebron Brothers	Ray Barretto
Andy Montañez	Gilberto Santa Rosa	Liliana	Ray De La Paz
Angel Canales	Giro	Linda Leida	Ray Pérez
Anthony Colón	Gloria Estefan	Los Titanes	Rey Ruiz
Anthony Cruz	Grupo Galé	Los Van Van	Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca
Arsenio Rodriguez	Grupo Latin Vibe	Louie Ramírez	Ricardo Rey
Barry Rodgers	Grupo Niché	Luis "Perico" Ortiz	Ritmo Alegria
Beny Moré	Guayacan Orquesta	Luis Lema	Roberto Roena
Bobby Cruz	Hector "Bomberito" Zarzuela	Luisito Carrión	Ruben Blades
Bobby Rodriguez	Héctor Lavoe "El Father"	Machito	Rubén González
Bobby Valentin	Hector Tricoche	Mambo King	Salsa Picante
Buena Vista Social Club	Huey Dunbar	Mamborama	Sierra Maestra
Cachao	Ibrahim Ferrer	Manolito y Su Trabuco	Son Boricua
Cano Estremera	Isidro Infante	Manu Dibango	Son De Cali
Carlos Manuel y su Clan	Ismael Miranda	Marc Anthony	Sonero Caruseles
Carlos Olivera	Ismael Rivera	Marta Sanchez	Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Celia Cruz	Isolina Carrillo	Marvin Santiago	Tambo
Charlie Cruz	Javier Vasquez	Melcochita	Tito Cruz
Charlie D'Cali Y Su Salsa	Jerry Rivera	Merengada	Tito Nieves
Charlie Palmieri	Jimmy Bosch	Michael Stuart	Tito Puente
Cheb Faudel	Jimmy Sabater	Miguel Enriquez	Tito Rodríguez
Cheo Feliciano	Joe Arroyo	Miguel Yamba Karamba	Tito Rojas
Chichi Peralta	Joe Bataan	Miles Peña	Tommy Olivencia Y Su Orquesta
Compay Segundo	Johnny Pacheco	Mongo Santamaria	Tony Vega
Conjunto Sensacion	Johnny Polanco	Nicky Marrero	Victor Hugo
Daniel Santos	Johnny Ray	Nino Sagarra	Victor Manuelle
Danny Rojo	Johny Colón	N'Klabe Con Papo Luca	Wayne Gorbea
Dark Latin Groove (D.L.G.)	Jorge Santana	Orestes Vilato	Willie Chirino
David Cedeno	José Alberto (El Canario)	Orquesta del Sol	Willie Colón
Domingo Quiñones	Jose Mangual	Orquesta Tabaco Y Ron	Willie Rodríguez
Eddie Palmieri	Julio Voltio	Oscar De León	Willie Rosario
Eddie Santiago	Junior González	Pablo Villanueva	Yuri Buenaventura
Edwin Bonilla	Justo Betancourt	Pachito Hechavarria
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico	La Charanga Habanera	Paulito F.G.
Eric Bonet	La India	Pedro Conga